


In a whirlwind of a thousand hues

by Merakicats



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Adorable Huening Kai, Best Friends Huening Kai & Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin Is Bad At Feelings, Choi Soobin/Huening Kai Fluff, Clueless Huening Kai, Cute Huening Kai, Domestic Boyfriends, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Huening Kai Being A Little Shit, Huening Kai Is Bad At Feelings, M/M, Shy Huening Kai, Soft Choi Soobin, Strangers to Lovers, Student Huening Kai, Whipped Choi Soobin, Whipped Huening Kai, english major huening kai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:59:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22965790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merakicats/pseuds/Merakicats
Summary: "Yeonjun Hyung I'm not going.""It'll be fun~""I have too much to do Hyung it's not a good id-""Soobin will be there.""..."Kai sighed."What do I wear?"
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Huening Kai
Comments: 3
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :)  
> Hope you like it! Feel free to leave any comments regarding feedback or if you have any suggestions about where the story is going.  
> This was really fun to write even though it took a lot of time. Here's my twt in case you wanna become friends! @Hueninking

Hueningkai had recently transferred to Seoul's National University after spending some time in a dance internship in Japan. He'd be a bit more regretful of having missed the first month and half of school but come on, getting to attend J-Hope's, and Jimin's advanced classes had been way better. Despite this, it was sort of a pain the amount of schoolwork he had been forced to undertake as a consequence of his late enrollment. He huffed, looking at the array of diverse textbooks the librarian handed him.

_Trust uni to start overworking him before even taking a class._

"I know what you're thinking, and it's your own fault."

"But Taeee the advance classes were too good to pass up." 

"Then stop pouting, you chose this." Kai pouted harder. 

"I'm never gonna get through all of this alone," he sighed, piling book after book on his arms, the added weight making his nose scrunch in further frustration, " I mean seven subjects is too much for anyone to study independently on." 

"Hmm," Taehyun mused, "you could get a tutor, you know?" 

Kai rolled his eyes at Taehyun, "where do you even...?" 

"Oh, there goes Beomgyu Hyung! He's working on the left-wing tutoring appointment this year, maybe you could ask him who's being placed for the central building?"

"I-" 

Taehyun had seemingly made up his mind though because in a second he was running after the boy with round glasses, overloading the poor thing with a series of questions. Kai trailed behind him a bit unsure on how to proceed. 

Upon closer inspection, Kai noticed Beomgyu was strikingly attractive, with sharp features and piercing eyes, a high contrast to his soft, friendly smile. 

He eyed Taehyun again, the goofy smile on his face a dead giveaway that helping Kai hadn't been his only intentions for calling Beomgyu's attention. 

Kai shook his head, _go figure_. 

"So Beomgyu Hyung was just telling me he is actually the person appointed for the central wing, isn't that amazing?"

"Yeah, I gu-"

"Great then if we could exchange numbers and fix a date and place for the session that'd be great!"

Beomgyu and Taehyun continued chattering, and Kai felt a bit exhausted. He'd been carrying these books so long his arms felt a bit numb, paired with only 2 hours of sleep he'd gotten because of his flight and enrollment papers. 

"How many hours a week?"

"2 should be enough for each subject?"

"Wow and he takes 7? What was he thinking?" 

"I know that's what I told him!"

Kai tuned out their voices, focusing on keeping his heavy eyelids open. He nodded off once, twice...

"Beomgyu I've been looking for you, I need you to cover the Maths revision session tomorrow-"

Thud.

_Fuck_. 

Kai's eyes opened wider than plates, and he stared miserably at the mess of titles splattered across the library floor.

"Fuck, sorry I'm a little tired." 

He bent down and started collecting them messily in his arms as fast as he could, but a hand rested upon his shoulder, and he turned to face a black-haired stranger with crinkling warm eyes. 

"Let me help."

Kai's jaw lay slack as he watched the beautiful boy crouch down to pick the remaining works in his arms effortlessly as if they weren't a thousand pages each. 

"Here," The boy took the books Kai cradled to his chest and neatly stacked them up in his own arms. 

"Wow this is a handful, you want any help carrying these?"

"I-"

"Oh I could've helped you, Kai, you should've said something sooner. It's fine. I'll take half."

Taehyun stole the first 3 and Kai, in a sort of trance, plucked the other 4 from the stranger's arms. 

_He's taller than me_ , he noted. 

The boy smiled at him. 

"Soobin why can't you teach math tomorrow? Is there something wrong?"

The boy's, Soobin's, attention turned back to Beomgyu, and he started listing a string of reasons why he'd be unavailable tomorrow. 

"If you stare any longer he might just suggest you take a picture," Taehyun whispered cheekily in Kai's ear, and the younger's cheeks burst red. 

"Come on, let's go."

"Oh? You don't want to admire for a few more minutes?"

"Oh shut up mister 'let's exchange numbers'. Don't think I didn't see you sliding into Beomgyu Hyung's contacts."

The tip of Tae's ears turned pink, "That's-that's different."

"Suure it is."

"Shut up!!"

"You shut up!"

Taehyun balanced the textbooks to one arm and poked Kai forcefully with his free one. 

"Ha!"

Kai stuck out his tongue. 

Beomgyu kept reprimanding Soobin for not giving a notice sooner of his indisposition, but Soobin couldn't concentrate, all he could do was look back to the prettiest boy he'd ever seen and feel the corners of his mouth stretch. 

-

"Hyung you didn't see him!" 

"Again, with this."

"Yes again with it and you might even hear it a fourth time because honestly, it's a tragedy I don't even know his name Hyung."

"Can't you ask Beomgyu who he is? Didn't he schedule a study session with him?"

"I already did Hyung! But Beomie doesn't know either. He says his friend arranged it not him so, I'm screwed."

"Yup."

"Why me."

Soobin throws himself on his best friends tattered couch. Yeonjun rolls his eyes at the drama. 

"Binnie it's not like you'll never see him again, he will be around campus."

"Yeah but-"

"Yes?"

"Uni is huge Hyung, what if I don't see him again?"

"Damn how pretty was this kid."

Soobin curls into the couch, moaning in despair. "You have no idea."

The door clicks open and Soobin freezes, groan caught in his throat, and he turns to Yeonjun, puzzled, because who the hell would be coming into the dorm room at, he checks his wrist, 10:48 pm?

"Oh yeah, Binnie I forgot, remember my ghost roommate?"

"What?" He intelligently answers back.

"Yeah, you know how I was matched with someone who never showed at the beginning of the semester?"

Soobin vaguely recalls their baffled expressions when no one came to room after 3 weeks, assuming they'd dropped out or moved in with someone else. 

"Oh yeah."

"Well," Yeonjun continued, striding towards the kitchen where the supposed stranger would be entering, "he enrolled late. Met him yesterday actually, pretty nice dude, exactly your type. Might even make you forget your Juliet."

"Hyung no one compares, seriously you have no idea how-"

"Sorry for being so late Yeonjun Hyung. I had to go to the office for last-minute documents. Can you believe they got my nationality wrong?"

Yeonjun cackled loudly and hugged a tall figure, and Soobin felt odd because he could've sworn he'd heard that voice somewhere. 

"I can believe them, kid, you've got like three."

"Still..."

Soobin approached the lightly illuminated kitchen and felt his heart drop six feet under, and roll in its goddamn grave at the sight. 

That was the boy, latching onto Yeonjun's shoulder without a care in the world, smiling brightly as Yeonjun teased him.

He felt something constrict in his stomach. 

"Hyung...?"

Kai heard the unfamiliar voice and turned in sync with his roommate and felt his cheeks blotch pink. 

_This wasn't happening._

_Oh my god, this wasn't happening._

"Binie this is HueningKai my very late into the semester roomate, Kai-ya this is Soobin my bestie."

"O-oh." _Oh shi_ _t_ was more like it. 

"Tha-thank you! F-for helping me out with the-with the textbooks this morning and-"

"Yeah-yeah no problem I hope you drop them again, so I help you-wait no, no that's wrong I don't hope you drop them again, but I do want to help-"

"Yeah, I hope I drop them again too-wait no.."

"Okay?" Yeonjun quizically stared between both the boys, but they refused to look at him, or at each other, in the eye.

"I'll head to my room now Hyung I need to sleep a bit."

"Yeah, take care?"

"Good-goodnight Soobin Hyung."

"Sleep well?" They stared dumbstruck after the freshman as he basically sprinted towards the far room and leapt inside. 

"What the hell just happened?" Yeonjun narrowed his eyes to slits at a guilty-looking Soobin. 

"Hyung I don't think I can come hang out here anymore."

"Why? And what just happened between Kai-oh no. Oh, sweet motherfucker, you did not! Is Kai the boy you've been moaning about for the last 40 minutes?"

"Maybe?"

"Oh my god, this is-" Yeonjun leaned onto a chair, the laughter erupting from his belly genuine, "You told him to drop his books again."

"Hyung!" Soobin whined, hands covering his face.

"Tell you what," Yeonjun said, regaining his breath, "I've never seen anyone stutter the way he did. There's potential here. Come to the party tomorrow. I'll make sure he goes."

"Hyung that's not the best-"

"Shhh, you will thank me." 

"I-" Soobin shakes his head in defeat, "fine."

-

"Huening come ooon. You've been slaving away since you got here."

"Yeonjun Hyung I don't think it's the right time for a party."

"But you're so stressed!"

"Because I'm so behind Hyung." 

Yeonjun shook his head in disdain. 

"You've been studying like mad." 

Kai hummed in acknowledgement, craning his neck to look at yet another page full of notes and highlights. He pushed past Yeonjun to grab another textbook and sighed tiredly when he bookmarked the chapter he had to read later.

"You need to take a break!" 

Kai leaned back on his chair, putting as much distance between the desk and him. It was littered with open textbooks and notebooks, some with half-completed notes and others mid-analysis. His favourite poetry book remained face down near the workload, and Kai contemplated taking a five-minute break to read it.

Instead, he turned to face Yeonjun. 

"But a party Hyung? Really?" Kai raised an eyebrow and Yeonjun who kept disputing the brilliance of a party and it's validity at letting some steam off.

"It's the perfect remedy for overwork." Yeonjun patted Huening's back reassuringly, putting his utmost effort into convincing the younger boy to attend. 

"It'll do us both good Huengie."

Kai chewed the tip of the pencil, entirely unconvinced and ready to portray his objection when Yeonjun casually strung an arm around his neck and whispered near Kai's ear, 

"Soobin is going, I convinced him yesterday. Still don't want to go?"

The warning signs were going off in his head, but Kai couldn't possibly turn him down. 

"What do I wear?"

-

Kai didn't like admitting his cluelessness about these things, but well, he couldn't pretend to know what was going on. 

Everything was similar yet different from the parties he knew and had attended to. 

For starters, besides Yeonjun Hyung and he didn't know anyone there. Or at least he didn't know anyone enough to chat with them. Taehyun had, as predicted decided to skip, on the pretence of catching some sleep when Kai knew he'd text Beomgyu likely all night. And Soobin...well Kai hadn't caught sight of him yet. 

To add to that, he seemed to be the only freshman there. 

A fish out of water was the best description he could think of to depict the situation accurately. 

"Let's get a drink shall we?" 

"Okay."

Kai was a little relieved to note he could recognize all the brands except for two or three. He wasn't planning on drinking all that much either way, after all, he had more studying to do the next day, and he didn't want to be too cranky to do so. 

But...

Kai bit his lip hard. 

One drink couldn't hurt.

Yeonjun must have seen him eyeing the bar because he suddenly pushed the younger over to where they were serving. 

"Ya, don't drink too much, okay? Do you know your limits?"

"I have an idea." 

"Great! 

Yeonjun ordered his own concoction, a vermouth with a shot of tequila and a slice of lemon on the side. Kai eyed the drink and nudged Yeonjun's shoulder teasingly, "Hyung I knew you were older but geez that old?"

"Ya, brat!"

Kai erupted in giggles, and Yeonjun chuckled at his boyish innocence. 

"Go ahead then, what is an age-appropriate party drink to you?"

"A cranberry vodka please!"

A string of chuckles later Yeonjun's eyes trailed to someone behind Kai and before he could turn to see who it was, Yeonjun grinned at him and winked, pushing Kai a bit and causing him to stumble against a stranger.

Yeonjun's eyes twinkled. 

"Soobin! So glad you could make it! So sad I can't stick around with you guys, not that I'd want to interrupt anything," He winked, "Anygays, have fun~." 

Kai stared incredulously at Yeonjun's retreating figure, mouth agape and body frozen in panic. 

"Um." Kai's neck snapped to Soobin's face and felt his own cheeks flush. 

Yeonjun could have at least warned him.

"Ahh, Yeonjun Hyung really he's- nevermind. Are you having fun yet?" Soobin was polite, gentle. The man had a cautious voice, and soft eyes and Kai didn't think he could stomach a proper conversation without a bit more liquid. 

He gulped down his cup and before giving Soobin time to reprimand him, he ordered the next, identical to the one he'd just drank. 

"So Soobin Hyung..."

-

A few minutes into their conversation and Soobin couldn't control his facial features anymore. The smiles kept overtaking him by surprise, and the laughs too burst out of him without his permission. He wondered if the lack of awkwardness was product of the alcohol in both their systems, but he'd be stupid to not have taken at least a shot. Kai had decided on skinny black jeans and a loose white fluffy sweater. Soobin just knew he wouldn't have been able to open his mouth much less maintain a conversation with the younger if he hadn't at least a bit of something to drink. He did wonder if this had been the best decision when he looked over just in time to catch Kai wince while chugging his drink, his nose had scrunched in distaste, and his eyes pressed tightly. 

Kai caught his gaze and ducked his head, smile poking out, "Sorry, I'm more of a candy person."

Yeah, Soobin thought, it made sense someone that sweet would have a sweet tooth. 

The night dragged on and unfortunately so did the drinks. They'd crossed the line from acquaintances to strangers who clung to each other incessantly. Kai's arm draped over Soobin's neck, and he was halfway into Soobin's lap. Of course, the latter aided in their physical proximity, hand firmly fixed on Kai's waist and the other every now and then squeezing his thigh when the laughter became too much.

Kai ordered a tequila with vodka and grapefruit soda.

"Are you sure you want to drink that much?" Soobin's tone brought Kai's eyes to his, and he gave him a lopsided smile. 

"It's okay. Yeonjun said he'd take me back to the dorm at 1, so I'll be safe."

"Still do you want to-"

"Hyung?"

"Yeah?"

"You'll take care of me, right?"

Soobin shivered. His mouth gone dry. 

"I-yes. I will. But, Kai I've drunk too."

"You're tolerance is definitely higher. Drink with me?"

Kai shuffled forward, fingers distractedly playing with the straw and eyes lazily peering at Soobin. 

"Please?" Kai drawled, "It's a little boring drinking alone."

Soobin's grip on Kai's thigh tightening the slightest bit, and Kai drew closer, motivated by the move, face so close to Soobin's he could feel his breath. 

"Please?"

Soobin's resolve broke.

"One of whatever he's drinking please!"

Kai threw his head back in joyful laughter, eyes crinkling to slits and teeth shining white. 

Soobin turned back to him, pleased at having made the cute little boy so happy, he almost forgot what he was going to ask next. 

"Why drink so much tonight, though?"

"I'm- I've been pretty stressed lately actually," Kai traced the rim of the glass, pointedly staring at it as if it held any answers, "The school had called me over five times to the office in two days, and I have to read document after document. I got a headache because of it at some point. And then they force me to independently go over everything that's been covered so far. It's been-" Kai sighed. He lightly pushed the glass away. 

"Catching up on schoolwork does sound like a good enough excuse to let loose tonight."

Kai's eyes perked, and a smile slowly crept it's way to his face.

"I say we party tonight."

It had been a good idea then, a supportive one that Soobin clearly just had to take for Kai's sake. 

But that was before the two vodka and rum shots he'd downed after Kai dared him to test his limits. And that was before he chugged a screwdriver against Kai to see who finished faster. Not that the younger was better off with far less liquor in his system but with an equally condemning effect. But Soobin thought the situation could still be handled rightfully, he wouldn't allow anything drastic to happen. He kept telling himself that as he encouraged Kai to continue his demolishing behaviour. He kept convincing himself he'd be fine, even if Kai looked prettier and prettier as time passed by. 

It didn't help Kai kept eyeing Soobin mischievously. As if there was something he was considering. 

As if something about him interested Kai. 

"Let's dance!" 

"Kai, no I don't think that's a- "

"Come on come on come on pleaseee?" Kai stumbled unto Soobin, forcing the older to grab his waist so he wouldn't fall. 

"Please?" Kai begged, nose scrunching up in a playful smile and Soobin felt his resolve slip away.

"Yeah, lets."

They giggled all the way to the dance floor. Kai held tightly on Soobin's arm, and Soobin concluded he liked the warmth Kai provided. 

He didn't question why.

Soobin greedily placed his hands all over Kai, on his sides, on his arms, on his back. He couldn't quite get enough. 

"Soobin Soobin Soobiinnnn. I like this song." 

Soobin could barely hear Kai's words over the thud of the bass, but he understood Kai's intentions when he wiggled closer to Soobin and moved Soobin's hands from his back to his hips, lower than Soobin would've dared to. 

Soobin had taken dance for years, so when he heard the rigid beats and solid hits, he decided to show off a bit to the cutie in his arms. 

He bit his lip. 

Slowly he started circling his hips, not quite touching against Kai's but getting as close to as possible. Soobin relished in the way Kai's eyes opened wide, and his mouth hung open, dazed. Soobin couldn't quite fully control or process his actions by now so when his grip tightened on Kai's hips, he wasn't thinking about how good or bad of a decision it was. 

All he could think of was how good it felt. 

_And it felt good._

Kai looked up at Soobin and gave the tiniest hints of a playful smile before grinding down hard. 

Soobin gasped. 

He instantly pulled Kai's body entirely against his own and started swaying his hips faster against Kai's. He couldn't stop staring at him. His eyes had gone dark, and he fixated on Soobin and Soobin only. Soobin liked the way he looked and decided to push it further, wanting Kai to never stop looking at him like that. Slowly leaning down, he pressed his thumb firmly against Kai's lip. 

Kai's breathing hitched, anticipation boiling within him.

Soobin smirked at him, eyes hooded and skin burning. He caressed Kai's lip carefully, before removing it and biting down on Kai's mouth with his teeth. 

Kai moaned. 

"Soobinie Hyung I- I can't- I need." Kai whimpered. Soobin's eyes turned feral in a flash. 

"Let's go upstairs." 

Kai nodded, squirming and whining as Soobin dragged him urgently through the crowd. 

"Soobin..." Kai was too impatient. He felt he couldn't breathe, couldn't rationalize if his hands weren't touching every inch of Soobin they could. His hands rested on his chest but dared to get a little greedier. Kai slipped one hand beneath Soobin's shirt. 

He felt Soobin shudder. 

"Kai," He growled in warning, still pushing through the massive multitudes of people. 

"Please," Kai whined again and disobediently kept tracing circles on Soobin's tummy. With little thought to what he was doing, he let his hand slip a bit lower. 

Soobin froze and turned gradually to study Kai. 

Kai stared back, hypnotized by the way Soobin's skin felt, desire pooling deep in his gut. 

In a snap, Soobin ripped open a door and pushed Kai through it. 

"You couldn't-just-wait." He huffed, body pressing Kai tightly against the nearest surface; the wall next to the door. 

"Please please please," Kai begged, digging his fingers into Soobin's back and arching his back to press closer to Soobins. 

"Tell me what you want." Soobin nipped at Kai's neck lightly and savoured the way Kai let out a small high pitched moan. 

"Tell me," Soobin bit down harder, "what you want." Kai couldn't think-couldn't process, all he knew is that he wanted Soobin, Soobin, Soobin. 

"Kiss me." Kai pleaded and Soobin took no effort into accomplishing the task. 

Kissing Kai was like breathing. It was like the moment his lips grazed Kai's he inhaled for the first time in years, and he felt so desperate for air. Like gasping, swallowing, reaching out to grab and squeeze and touch, touch, touch everything he could because Kai tasted so devastatingly good Soobin couldn't quelch the want that lit his soul. 

"Ahh." Kai broke off the kiss, panting heavily, staring at Soobin in wonder and awe and licking his lips tentatively. Soobin traced the movement. And smiled. 

"Is this okay?"

"Yes, god, yes."

Kai wrapped his arms around Soobin's neck and pulled him down a bit to brush their noses together. Soobin smiled shyly, dimple showing and nose scrunching upwards and Kai's heart made a triple loop jump. 

Kai rapidly pecked Soobin's lips again, and Soobin chased after Kai, not letting him part entirely. Kai screeched in delight at their cat and mouse game and squirmed out of Soobin's embrace, stumbling to the other side of the room. 

"Catch me if you can~." 

"Oh, you better run." The taller boy lounged at the younger, the corner of his lips curling upwards and an irrational idea pops in his head. 

"Kai-Kai-Kai,"

"Yes?"

"I have a secret."

Kai's eyes instantly lit up, and he drew closer to Soobin's frame, the poor fool forgetting they had a game. 

Soobin took the chance, he kneeled in front of Kai who sat dumbfoundedly on the floor, and he pushed his body down slowly, with quiet breathlessness. Soobin couldn't remember where he got the courage from, but right then at that moment, he got as close to Kai's neck as he possibly could. 

And he let instinct take over. 

His tongue poked out meekly, curiously tracing a line down Kai's jaw. 

"Hmph!" 

"Shhh baby," Soobin placed a light kiss near his ear, "don't you want me to mark you up? Make it pretty?"

"Yes. Yes."

"Good baby, so good for me, right?"

"Hmm, good," Kai mumbles, gripping the back of Soobin's neck as he trails along his jugular vein, teeth grazing against the lush skin. 

"Soobinie Hyung I- please-"

The door snapped open, and Soobin froze. 

"Hyung?"

Soobin rushed to sit up, but his head felt fuzzy, and his movements were lagged. The room spun. 

"Beom-beomgyu." 

"Hyung? Are you drunk?" 

"No." But his voice was slurred and as much as he tried the only clear thing he could focus on was Kai and the way his cheeks lit red. 

"You're drunk Hyung." He could hear Beomgyu talking distantly, he could sense where he was and what he'd been doing, but all he could really think about was how Kai kept staring and staring and staring up at him with wonder. 

All he could see was Kai's innocent eyes looking up at him eagerly as if they hadn't been interrupted. As if he didn't want anything else but to continue being with Soobin. 

And Soobin wanted it too.

"I'm-" Soobin gulped, "I-m going to stop now, okay? Because-because if I don't do it now-"

"No Soobinie Hyung please don't leave-"

"It's okay. I'll call Yeonjun Hyung. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yes."

Soobin untangled their legs as efficiently as he could.

"One last kiss?"

Soobin cupped Kai's cheeks in an instant, and kissed him as deeply as he could, stealing two, three, four more kisses in a second. Hands desperately clinging onto Kai's face and trying to pull away without really wanting to.

"Tomorrow."

Kai nodded. 

Soobin averted his focus to the door, where Beomgyu stood shock still and without a single glance backwards, he shut the door. 

Beomgyu looked at him as if he'd grown a third eye, but Soobin just shook his head somberly and motioned towards the stairs. 

He'd talk to Kai properly tomorrow, maybe tell him how much fun he'd had tonight, perhaps he'd tell Kai he enjoyed himself way too much. Maybe he'd tell him he wanted to do it again.

But he couldn't do that now. 

Because the moment he looked back at those sparkling eyes, he would stop at nothing to ravage him. 

And _that_ was the scariest thing he'd ever felt.

-

Kai awoke disoriented and grumpy. 

That in itself wasn't the best combination but then ganged up with the pounding headache, and glaring alarm really put the cherry on top of the cake. Kai was not in a good mood. 

So much so he went through his morning routine in auto-pilot. He brushed his teeth, turned the coffee maker on, cracked some eggs and cut the onions and chilli, put bread in the toaster, and waited. He was so far off in the land of almost sleep when the doorbell rang resoundingly.

Kai's brow creased. 

"Who is it?"

There was no response, and Kai was forced to go check it out himself. In retrospect, if he had checked the peephole before opening the door, his eye sockets wouldn't have dropped the way they did, but of course, his coffee-less brain was too tired to think of the idea. 

Which is why he got whiplash when he opened the door to reveal Soobin dressed in black sweats and a blue hoodie. 

Just like that, it all came back to him.

"So-So-Soobin Hyung what are you..?" Kai's mouth dried, and the words fled his thoughts as he was faced headfirst with someone he hadn't entirely made up his mind about. 

Moreover, the embarrassment made itself up to Kai's neck. _He'd made out with Soobin._

_Omg, he made out with Soobin._

_He fucking pleaded oh god he was dying of shame today._

"I'm sorry to intrude like this. I wanted to see if you were okay?"

Kai nodded, eyes cast down and lips pursed into a grimace, remembering acutely how much of an idiot he'd been, how desperate he'd acted.

"Oh- That's-did Yeonjun...?" 

Kai nodded again.

"I promised," Soobin sighed, pushing his hair back, "I promised yesterday I would talk to you and I know you might think all I wanted was to make out, but that's not really what I want at all? I mean, I do! But-but I want more. It's okay if you don't, but I-" Soobin shook his head, defeatedly, "I do."

"Oh." Understanding bloomed in Kai's mind, and he threw his head back in a wholehearted laugh. A whole-body laugh. The type of laughter that Soobin felt he could listen to continuously and not get tired of hearing. Soobin felt a smile sneaking up on him against his will.

Kai's roar hadn't died down yet when he gripped Soobin's wrist, forcing him inside the small dorm. 

Soobin blushes at the action, and unwanted memories of the previous night flood his mind.

"I don't regret any of it," Soobin continues while being dragged into the living room space, unsure of where he stood or why Kai was laughing so much, "In fact I had fun last night, and I don't mean the kissing though that too but simply being with you and-"

"I don't regret it either Soobinie Hyung," Kai's eyes wrinkled into the cutest gummy smile Soobin had ever seen. 

"So did you have something in mind for what we are...?" Kai blushed at his own inquisition but persisted in looking at Soobin directly.

"Something like...?" 

"Like friends, close friends or....more than friends."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'd like to take you out to dinner one of these days." Soobin smiled toothly, and it made Kai's stomach tie itself up in knots. 

"Good. I'd like that too. Then would you like to stay for coffee?"

"Glad to."

As they made their way to the tiny kitchen table, Soobin fidgeted with his silver and green ring. 

_This wasn't a normal crush._

Soobin looked up to see Kai pouring coffee into two identical cat mugs, tongue poking out and furrow scrunched. 

The smile that stretched his skin was inevitable.

_I don't think I mind falling for him at all._

"So how did you wake up?" Soobin asked instead of dwelling on his thoughts. From Kai's outer appearance, he looked every bit like the textbook definition of hungover. Kai sipped his drink and gave Soobin a cheeky grin.

"Don't get me started."

-

**6 months later.**

Kai's legs curled into his smaller frame, making his silhouette look tinier than Soobin thought he could look like. 

A pink colour rushed rapidly to his cheeks, and he turned away, letting his heart stutter without risking Kai seeing him. Smiling somewhat sheepishly, Soobin returned to staring at his computer screen, blankly filing report after report. Allowing the afternoon to sink its lazy claws into him until he could feel his concentration span lasting mere seconds. 

Maybe he needed a break. 

Standing sluggishly, he made his way into the kitchen, where he got out two black mugs, and poured green tea into them, letting the feeling of hazy warmth and relief settle on his shoulders.

"You making tea?" 

Soobin hums in response and starts heading back to the living room. 

Notebook after notebook were sprayed out in a mess and pieces of paper crumpled and full of notes that he's not sure are useful anymore lounged carelessly on the floor. Of course, Kai's doodles were all over the pages, the clear sign that he wasn't the only one not getting anything done this afternoon. Soobin plops down cross-legged next to Kai's comfy place on the carpeted floor and kisses his cheek. "Here Kitty, we ran out of cookies though, so we might need to run to the store later." 

"Oh." Kai nodded apprehensively and hastily grabbed a scattered paper to probably annotate the list of food needed. Soobin sighed, taking a sip of his tea and running his hand through Kai's loose curls, letting them untangle and bounce back up with vigour.

"You're making them a mess you know that right?" Kai didn't turn to face him, still chewing on the top of the pencil trying to figure out what they were missing, but Soobin could only guess he was pouting. 

"Guess we'll have to shower together later then, I'll make sure to brush your hair." 

"Waahhhh, why do you have to be like this?" 

Soobin chuckled, and put his teacup down before gently poking Kai's sides, "Like what?" 

He turns to stare at him, nose and cheeks all red and the tip of his ears starting to colour, "like-like that! Just so, so fucking cheesy and, and...cute." Kai mumbled, hiding his glowing face entirely in Soobin's chest, and letting out small puffing sounds of frustration. 

"You're doing it on purpose." Kai managed to muffle out. 

"Am not. It's not my fault I'm naturally cute. And that you fall for it all the time." Kai let out a squeal of denial and quickly turned to glare at him, all the while colour deepened.

"I hate you so much," Kai mumbled while scowling, and resuming his position cuddled into Soobin's arms. 

"What a baby, throwing a tantrum aren't we?" 

"Nuh-uh we are not doing this, I am not letting you make me any more..."

"Admitting defeat?" 

Soobin's comment was met with another of Kai's scowls. Swiftly Kai stood. His eyes shone with mirth, and he waddled gleefully towards the studio room. 

"Where..?"

"We're not doing anything so why not make it a vinyl day?" Kai said over the next room, and Soobin shrugged, smiling softly at the thought of the bundle of vinyls Kai would likely bring with him. 

Soobin collected the cups, washing them and returning into the living room where he met with the sight of Kai putting a vinyl bigger than his head into the record player. Soobin won't admit it if you asked if he stared a little too long at Kai, but some days he couldn't contain the bursting feeling he felt. That need to grasp and not let go. 

"Well, Mr Tease, will you give me the honour of dancing with you?"

Soobin put a hand to his chest in fake shock at Kai's proposal and snorted right after he started giggling. 

"Okay okay, come on clearly we only have the whole afternoon to do this so, better make it quick." Kai rolled his eyes but kissed Soobin's fingertip and allowed him to pull their waists close. It wasn't uncommon for them to do this. Still, it always left Kai a little breathless when they suddenly found themselves invading a space that wasn't just personal or intimate. It was breaching a little more than that. The type of close that allowed Kai to breathe in the same air Soobin did, it felt like sharing a life force to him.

Kai would never get enough of it.

Soobin started humming, his voice going lower than what it usually was. Kai gently placed his head on Soobin's shoulder and moved his hand to rest above his heart. Kai could feel the low vibrations of his voice rise and fall. His heart skipped. Soobin didn't sing often enough to placate Kai's greedy want, but on days like these, it was almost subconscious for him to do so. 

Soobin could feel Kai smile, and he looked down at him endearingly. 

"You know I- I love seeing you wear sweaters."

Kai snickered, while Soobin made him spin, colliding into him slightly breathless and whispering as if it were the world's greatest secret, "well they are my favourite piece of clothing." 

"I-yeah no I know that it's just.." Soobin looked down at Kai while they moved, and slowly chewed on his lip before looking away, "That one's mine." 

"O-oh." Kai looked down, realizing with slight embarrassment that it wasn't his, and in fact, the light blue knit sweater had been one Soobin had bought long ago. 

"Well that's, that's even better because you know I'm also big on smells and I particularly like the way you smell which I mean is not surprising or something you don't know seeing as we do sleep together and that should prove-" 

Soobin pecked his forehead which instantaneously shut him up.

"I know Kitty." 

The song died down, and another started, with a slightly faster rhythm. They cackled as they each tried to make ridiculous moves none of them could pull off, pausing with breathy snorts every once in a while, making fun of the other. 

At the end of the song, Kai flung himself onto Soobin and smiled brightly, clinging onto his torso as Soobin pointlessly tried to wriggle out of the tight embrace.

"No, you're not escaping."

"Leave me, demon, let me go." 

"No."

"Be off."

"Make me then."

"Oh, Kitty as if I couldn't." Instantly regret-filled Kai's horrified eyes, widening more and more as Soobin lifted him higher and higher with brute strength and flinging him over his shoulder. 

"Well, would you look at that its time to go grocery shopping, don't you think?"

"Will you let me down?" Kai whined, not trying to get down but making small puffing sounds in protest when Soobin chose to ignore him. 

"Will you really take me to the store like this??? Everyone can see..you know…" Kai trailed off, mumbling incoherent words and a few curses, as he closed the door to their apartment and locked it. 

"Well if they stare I'll just let them know you're mine right, Kitty?" 

Consequently, his face went completely red, but he could only sigh, "I guess…" 

"Oh my goood you can't just accept that, fight more, will you? Jesus, some stranger will command you to do something, and you'll obey." 

"I won't. I only obey you."

Soobin stopped walking and groaned loudly, "don't say that."

"What? It's only logical." Kai finished with a smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes, "oh wait don't tell me I'm the one making you flustered now."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Soobin flung him back onto the floor, still making sure Kai didn't hurt himself, but grabbing his shoulders rather brusquely and intensely stare into his eyes. Kai only stared back with a cocky smile. Soobin liked their dynamics, their games. It was always thrilling. He hovered over Kai's neck, tongue poking out and licking along his jaw.

"Careful, you know it's still early, and unless you want to walk tomorrow…." 

Kai only grinned wider.


	2. The After

** 1 year later **

It wasn't love at first sight. 

Kai wouldn't say it was. 

It was more like knowing you could continue doing something endlessly and still smile every second of the way. 

The funny thing was since they met the feeling never faded. Neither did the butterflies or heart stutters or laughs. But the feeling was the important one.

Their friends sometimes called it love at first sight simply because they'd met, kissed and that was that. They were goners for each other. But Kai didn't believe in that. 

All he knew was that his head turned one fraction of a second later and he caught Soobin's eyes and the next thing you know, Kai was drowning. 

The emotion he got wasn't love, it was overwhelming. Of what who knows. But the colours seemed brighter, happy, his head was abnormally clear and instead of thousands upon millions of thoughts racing through there was only one. 

Soobin.

It was a feeling he got, it seemed like love, but that wasn't possible. It was accelerating, like a dose of adrenaline, Kai wanted more, Kai wanted so much more and not even a year sufficed. When he was with Soobin, he wanted to feel with everything he had. But it wasn't love. Yet. No, such a thing was unpredictable, there was no science to it and no words to freeze it in, but somewhere inside himself, he knew it wasn't that.

The moment Kai knew he was in love with Soobin was much later probably. The day Soobin told Kai what he was afraid of in life, his tears running clear and hands shaking so much when Kai gripped them his shook too. He could have fallen in love the day it started raining heavily, and they got soaked, so they had to run to safety under a lamp post. They were close, heat radiated from both of them, that's how they warmed each other up. They had no choice but to wait, so they talked. Kai fell in love the moment he saw Soobin spoke as if the burden of the world was on his shoulders. Though he couldn't say precisely if it really was then. It could've been that time during finals when Soobin crashed onto Kai's lap, sniffing and whining because he'd forgotten his lunch box in a classroom and the teacher had locked up already. It could've just as easily been the day Kai slipped and almost banged his head on a window ledge. Kai didn't, Soobin caught him at the last second and scolded Kai's air-headedness. No, he can't really say when it was, there were too many moments that had been frozen delicately in his head, a picture to capture the preciousness of their moments. Enough memories that it was clear Kai didn't really fall in love with Soobin at all. Nop, it wasn't like that. He thought one day you just woke up and  _ knew,  _ felt even, the emotion curling its bony grip onto your life source. Maybe if it weren't Soobin, it'd be that way. Maybe. But he'll never know for sure. He hopes he doesn't. Kai doesn't need anyone else because as it urns out, Soobin was the only something Kai's quite possibly always required. 

_ Click.  _

"Uh???? Did you just-?" 

Soobin's mouth curled upwards, and he released a relaxed breath. His fingers played with Kai's, intertwining their fingers over and over again. Soobin's nose slightly wriggled as he fidgeted with the camera, his eyes never leaving Kai's. Soobin nodded, choosing to answer his question silently as he made a low humming sound. 

"Here, take a look." Soobin's eyes dropped to the floor, trying and ultimately failing to hide his blush. The picture was excellent, as best as it could get with the sunset as the sole lighting accessible in the deserted park. The focus of the photograph was mainly centred around Kai's face, but it's not what he paid attention to. Instead, he observed the corner of the image, the side in which Soobin's face timidly appeared in the frame, tilted and just gazing at Kai. His eyes were beyond soft, and there was this, this little thing on his mouth that pulled it upward. Too small to be called a smile, but it was definitely a gesture of affection. Kai looked over to see Soobin gauging his reaction. With one swift nod and hum of approval, Kai leaned a bit closer and sighed contently. 

"I like it."

That thing returned, to small for anyone else to notice but Kai. He liked it that way too. They let their bodies instinctively lean closer, seeking the type of warmth only they could give even though it was far from chilly. "You always do that, don't you? Take pictures, I mean."

"Yeah, I like to."

"Mmmm. I like it too." 

Kai's voice died as the moment seized, Soobin's arms encircling him and their laziness increasing. 

"Kiss?" Kai laughed lightly, "Yeah, kiss." Soobin's head turned to face him, the immediate, intimate gesture distracting Kai long enough to not see his hand move up to graze his cheek. Soobin placed a soft peck on his forehead first and then one on his lips, lazily savouring every bit before they parted and went again. Fluttery quick light pecks is all they were, but they were content with having each other, being together. It was simple like that. 

"Should we go home?" 

And even though Kai had always known how much he loved Soobin, moments like these reminded him of it.

"Soobin, I love you, you know that, right?" 

He laughed this time, his eyes closing, his head tilting backwards, the sound carried away with the wind. 

"Yeah I know," he offered a hand which Kai gratefully took as he stood from the park bench, "I love you too."

And that was that. 


End file.
